Brian Hurley’s Cork master-class adds to Kerry’s woes

WHENEVER YOU BEAT a team by ten points, it’s a good day. When it’s your near neighbours and biggest rivals, doubly so.

While Kerry have put together back-to-back lacklustre performances in the League, all credit must go to Cork and Brian Hurley in particular for the display they put on in Tralee, especially considering they had already qualified for the Division 1 semi-finals.

Hurley was mightily impressive scoring eight of Cork’s 2-18, seven of which came from open play and the Kerry full-back line just had no answer for the Castlehaven man and ensured Brian Cuthbert’s charges will be full of confidence going into their semi-final with Dublin.

The sight of hundreds of home fans streaming out the gates of Austin Stack Park well before the final whistle will worry Éamonn Fizmaurice and his selectors as his team capitulated in the second half despite still harbouring hopes of a semi-final spot themselves.

They’ll have a long time to regroup before they get their Munster Championship campaign under way but ending the league on such a sour note will sting.

Card colour confusion for Blues and Red Hands

We really should be talking about Dublin’s brilliant opening to the game or Tyrone’s impressive fightback but it’s hard to ignore the performance of referee Marty Duffy in Omagh yesterday.

The Sligo whistler rightly showed a black card to Tyrone’s Ronan McNamee after four minutes but after that similar cynical fouls seemed to result in either a yellow card (Kevin McManamon and Jason Whelan) or — as was the case when Dublin goalkeeper Sean Currie was adjudged to have brought down Shay McGuigan for a Tyrone penalty — no card at all.

It’s far too much to ask a referee to be perfect and, if the comment sections of our match tracker and match report are anything to go by, Duffy frustrated both sets of fans. However, it’s not asking a great deal to have some consistency from the man in the middle.

Of course, the players didn’t help Duffy, some of the “simulation” on display in Omagh wouldn’t have been out of place in the Nou Camp. However, the black card remains a great concept. It has made for an exciting and high-scoring Allianz National Football League.

For it to be really effective though, it needs to be implemented properly.

Laois’ great escape costs Armagh

James Crombie James Crombie

You have to hand it to Laois. Tomas O Flathara’s went into the final weekend of Division 2 football in the most precarious of positions knowing that not even a win over Down would guarantee them safety.

However, they took care of business in O’Moore Park and though the score at the end was closer than they would have liked, the truth is they really took their foot off the gas after building a ten point lead early in the second half.

While Laois will celebrate tonight, Armagh supporters will be wondering what life in Division 3 has in store following their loss to Donegal. The Orchard County barely survived the cut last year and after finishing on one less point this time around, will take on the likes of Clare and Tipperary next season.

It’s some change for Armagh who four rounds ago looked like they would challenge for promotion after beating Laois and Meath back-to-back. Three defeats in a row though will have Paul Grimley worrying about his future as manager.

At the other end of the table, Monaghan will rightly celebrate back-to-back promotions.

Magnificent seven for Cavan as Longford hit bottom

There was only one place to be in Division 3 this weekend and that was Wexford Park as the home side avoided relegation after beating Longford.

However, Cavan’s 100% record should be celebrated, regardless of the style of football used to achieve it as it’s only the second time in the last five years — along with Tyrone in 2012 — that a team has won all their games in a league campaign.

At the other end of the table it was the clock that ultimately sent Longford to Division 4 as they failed to find a crucial third goal in their winner takes all clash with Wexford. Back-to-back relegations are never pretty and Longford will hope to bounce straight back up next season.

Fourth time’s the charm for Clare

Forget third time lucky, Clare footballers finally secured promotion to Division 3 having fallen at the final hurdle in 2010, 2012 and 2013.

With Tipperary already guaranteed promotion, the Banner were favourites to join them. However, with just one point and 12 wides to their name after 25 minutes against Antrim yesterday, some must have been wondering if they’d suffer heartache on the last day yet again.

However, playing into the breeze in the second half seemed to help the Munster side and once their nerves settled their promotion never really looked in doubt.

London, who have failed to kick on from their Connacht Championship campaign last year, at least finished above Carlow and were unlucky not to get a win over Leitrim in Ruislip.

Johnny Doyle retires from inter-county football

Donegal and Monaghan to meet in Division 2 final but Armagh are relegated